Haiti
Related Categories: Current Events
Last week I wrote a blog on the New Age belief system of 
the hit movie Avatar and James Cameron in particular. I wrote that the movie is steeped in ancient Gnosticism and promised to follow up this week. That all now seems to be so irrelevant compared to the tragedy in Haiti. Here are some of my thoughts on the horrible hellish nightmare the poverty stricken people of Haiti are enduring.
First, I am deeply saddened, embarrassed, and offended by the comments of televangelist Pat Robertson. He claims that this earthquake is a judgment from God rooted in what he says was a 17th century pact the nation made with the devil and as the result Haiti is a cursed nation. What Mr. Robertson seems to ignore is the fact that there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of Christians, missionaries, and Godly people who are now buried in the rubble dying a slow and painful death, or are already dead. Others are dying of thirst, feverishly searching for their kids, spouses, mothers, and fathers. When God sent the ten plagues upon Egypt, He exempted Israel even though they lived in close proximity. In other words, it was a targeted judgment. Mr. Robertson owes every one of those believers in Haiti and apology - but don't hold your breath.
Second, it never ceases to amaze me that when these horrible tragedies occur, the first place people turn is to America. And we respond with great generosity and compassion. Most civilized Americans are asking what they can do to help. But where are all of the bash America countries in the relief effort? Where is the mad man Hugo Chavez and his oil rich Venezuela? Their people live in abject poverty while he calls President Bush the devil in the one nation where he might get away with such idiocy. Where is the mentally unstable leader of Iran - I refuse to write his name. Where are Syria and the rest of the Jew haters in the Middle East? I could go on but you get the point. Third, when crises like this occur (such as Katrina) the church of Jesus Christ is there years later still feeding the hungry, rebuilding shattered lives, and offering hope. Where are the Muslim countries? Would they even want to help a Christian, the ones they call the infidels? They are nowhere to be found. It seems as though all of their country's miserable failures rooted in their demagogue leaders are passed on to us - it is always America's fault. So sad! But that should not stop us from being there. The church will mobilize, the food will start flowing, and in the end, because of America, Haiti will be a better country than the one just destroyed. You can bank on it.
In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters
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Everything possible, within the crippling restraints of a devastated landscape and corrupt, non-existent Haitian government, is being done by our people. And we even have to provide armed security in towns and along distribution routes to keep aid convoys from being attacked and looted by a thug-minority. Our troops are even tasked with keeping homes and businesses from being invaded by local thugs who demonstrate their desperation for food and water by stealing furniture and TV's. And there ain't no French, German, or Saudi troops sharing the "blessing" along with us!
The US Air Force is hauling the vast majority of supplies, equipment and personnel into the country. The USAF and other branches of our military have taken over the operation of the totally-destroyed airport and turned chaos into relative order and efficiency. The USAF has set up an air traffic control system to coordinate hundreds of in-coming flights. The US Navy and the Navy "Sea-Bees" are completely re-building the devestated sea-port facilities so ships can deliver help.
The US Navy Hospital Ship, Comfort, packed with supplies and medical personnel just arrived and has started filling its 1000+ beds with the sick and injured. The US Army and Marines are providing heavy transportation vehicles (with operating crews), generators, temporary shelters, etc., etc., in record time and quantities. And need I even mention the American Red Cross, The AMERICAN-based - No, CHRISTIAN-based - Salvation Army, and dozens of other American volunteer organizations and their contributions?
One illustrious institution I will mention, though, is the United Nations...They and their pretty blue berets have been in Haiti for years "keeping the peace and providing humanitarian aid" - with money mostly provided by the good ole USA through our disproportionately-high "Annual UN Membership Dues". What have they done? The country, its infrastructure and its corrupt, non-existent government are as bad or worse than they've ever been. Thanks, UN. You're as useless and irrelevant as you've ever been!
The average, hurting Haitian people are thrilled that we are there. And the rest of the lazy, hypocritical, blame-America-first world can shut up and get back to their lattes and vegi-quiches and let America do the bulk of the heavy-lifting as we have always done. And they can, once again, thank the evil, imperialistic, capitalist, war-mongering American tax-payers for services rendered.
Somehow, I just don't think the flood of gratitude will be forthcoming. Americans are use to it and will keep giving anyway.
A question regarding your comments on Pat Robertson's condemnation of the nation of Haiti in the wake of the earthquake disaster. I would agree that his tirade might be unfortunate and ill-timed, but is his claim accurate about their 17th century "pact with the devil?"
If it is true, wouldn't such an "official" act of blasphemy on the part of a nation, any nation, predispose them to an extra helping of Divine judgment in some form? That would seem to be consistent with God's own track record in Scripture. The "just" frequently suffer with the "unjust" and all suffering ultimately originates with the curse of original sin. That in itself is a very "non-targeted" application of sin's consequences across all humanity!
When Israel was exempted by God from the Egyptian plagues, was that intended to be a precedent for all time that no nation will be judged or "punished" as a whole as long as any Christians live there? Although that would seem to be the message, especially when you factor in that other famous example of Sodom and Gomorrah, where God held off judgment because one righteous man still lived there, I can't help thinking of other instances in ancient and modern history where the rain fell on both the just and the unjust when a nation fell into chronic, unrepentant sin. "Good" people suffered and died too! Maybe Sodom and Egypt were non-typical cases where God, for reasons known only to Himself, chose to do as He pleased in selected instances with no broader message about "targeting" involved!
What implications does this have for our country today as it slips farther and farther away from its Judeo-Christian foundings and deeper into the most vile and blatant demonic, sinful behavior - with government endorsement many instances? Millions of Christians live here and will suffer and die along with the ungodly as God's wrath is ratchetted up. Such is also the plight of other nations world-wide where Christians are dying for the sins and policies of godless governments. I hope we're not afraid to suggest that God's judgment could possibly come in the form of an earthquake or some other type of indiscriminate "natural disaster!" There is ample Biblical precedent for that happening - both among God's Elect, Chosen people, the Jews, as well as among the totally-heathan nations around them! As un-politically-correct as it might sound, couldn't this possibly have been the case with Haiti?
I sure hope and pray that God would bring only "targeted" judgment but history doesn't always bear that out. I don't like to think of my children or grandchildren suffering for the sins of others around them in the near future.